


Question of Faith

by misura



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-24
Updated: 2008-08-24
Packaged: 2017-11-03 10:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/380224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"What gives you the impression I believe in love?"</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Question of Faith

Jounouchi loved Kaiba's king-sized bed. It was big, soft and comfortable - two out of three things that Kaiba wasn't, and best of all: on a typical Sunday-morning, it was all his.

Kaiba, it appeared, thought that beds were only for two things, one of which was sleeping. When he woke up, he didn't laze about, thinking about how life was pretty good, the way Jounouchi liked to do (because anything was better than thinking about how he still hadn't done any of the homework that was due Monday). When Kaiba woke up, he showered, dressed and went to work.

Jounouchi wasn't sure if he ought to worry about Kaiba's bedroom also seeming to be the place Kaiba worked, or if he ought to be flattered Kaiba apparently wasn't quite enough of a jerk to leave Jounouchi all by himself. He also wasn't sure whether or not the fact that Kaiba never seemed to insist on Jounouchi waking up or getting out of bed when he himself did meant that Kaiba cared.

After almost five months, it was still hard to read Kaiba. And on that note:

"If you don't believe in magic, how come you believe in love?"

For a few moments, he thought Kaiba might not have heard him - or prefer to pretend he hadn't. Then, softly closing the laptop, Kaiba turned around.

"What gives you the impression I believe in love?"

Four months ago, that question combined with the look Kaiba was giving him would have been enough for Jounouchi to end things between them, or at the very least reconsider staying over to spend the night. Two months ago, Jounouchi'd have looked away and changed the subject.

One month ago, he'd have told Kaiba what he could do with that attitude of his.

Now, he simply said: "It's kind of obvious, don't you think?"

Kaiba's lips curled upwards in what might almost be the ghost of a smile. "You're answering a question with another question. As far as conversational tactics go, that's a sure sign of weakness."

Jounouchi chewed on that one for a while. (He'd learned fairly early that if he wanted to come out on top in any argument with Kaiba, he needed to take the time to think. Which he never did during their usual arguments at school or in public, because honestly? Kaiba was a lot easier to get along with when he felt like he'd won a victory, and Jounouchi felt he'd sort of moved beyond the point where he needed to prove anything to anyone by using his mouth - unless it was for something other than to talk.)

"You did it first," he said.

Kaiba shook his head. "You made an unqualified statement - I simply asked for a clarification. Who says I believe in love?"

"Well, I do," Jounouchi said. "The way you keep asking me to move in with you does. And, I don't know, maybe the way you generally don't act like you hate me or anything? Ring any bells?"

"Not hating you is hardly the same as loving you."

And that, Jounouchi thought, was the real problem, wasn't it? The real question Jounouchi would like to have answered. Kaiba might think of himself as a realist, but to Jounouchi, he seemed more like someone who didn't believe in anything at all.

"Okay, so what about the wanting me to come live with you?"

"You always refuse," Kaiba said.

Jounouchi waited for something more - an actual reason for Kaiba's request that Jounouchi move in with him, for example. Although 'request' was a bit of an understatement; recently, it had all but turned into an outright demand. And Jounouchi refused it every time.

"You keep asking me because I keep saying 'no'?"

"If you said 'yes', I wouldn't need to keep asking."

Jounouchi frowned. Kaiba made it sound perfectly logical, and in a sense, Jounouchi supposed it was. In another sense, Kaiba was dodging the actual question ... again.

"Sex?"

Jounouchi regretted the word the moment he'd spoken it - he did not want to hear Kaiba tell him that sex was just sex to him, no love involved. It was an aspect of their relationship that was still very recent, even if Jounouchi had spent the night during the weekend before. He'd always slept in a guestroom though - one that could be locked from the inside. (He'd never done so, but the first time, he'd wanted the reassurance, the feeling of control.)

"I just showered."

Jounouchi gave him a blank look, not seeing the connection.

"Then again, how could I resist such an offer, when you're naked and in my bed?" Kaiba rose and reached for the top-button of his shirt.

Jounouchi yelped and pulled the blankets around him. Not that it would actually stop an insistent Kaiba, but in this case, he knew it would be the thought that counted. For all his other faults, Kaiba knew when Jounouchi's 'no' meant 'no' and when it meant 'no, but do try to make me change my mind'.

Kaiba sighed. "You're a tease in the morning, mutt."

"You're a jerk all day, moneybags," Jounouchi returned.

"Well," said Kaiba, half-smiling again, "if you don't want sex, then how about breakfast?"

"In bed?" Jounouchi asked quickly, eagerly. Part of him knew Kaiba was using a mention of food to distract him, but he was hungry, and Kaiba usually insisted on eating breakfast downstairs, which meant that likely as not, Mokuba would be there to comment on Jounouchi's appearance, his taste in breakfast cereals and his general character. Jounouchi'd heard of morning tempers, only Mokuba's mood at the breakfast table was something else.

Given the kid's usual cheer, Jounouchi'd sooner have expected Kaiba to be a total grouch in the early hours - which just went to prove ... something or another.

"If you really want to." Kaiba's expression made it clear he completely failed to see the appeal of breakfast in bed. Still, he'd given in. Jounouchi could be happy enough with that.

"You bet I do." Jounouchi grinned, sitting up, barely paying attention to what his movement might reveal. It wouldn't be anything Kaiba hadn't seen before, anyway - and Kaiba wasn't even looking, headed for the door, taking along his now empty mug of morning coffee.

At the door, Kaiba turned. "I do love you, you know," he said, his tone almost casual.

Jounouchi had waited five months for that line - in his mind, he'd rehearsed his answer hundreds of times. It was easy, really, simple. The thing everybody always said.

It wasn't hard to say it back, but maybe, he thought, it _was_ kind of hard to say it first.


End file.
